Two Broncos earn preseason All-MAC volleyball honors

KALAMAZOO—Senior middle blocker Jessica Brown and sophomore setter Terin Norris- of the Western Michigan University volleyball team earned preseason All Mid-American Conference honors.

Brown and Norris enter 2012 as reigning First Team All-MAC selections, and they are the only pair of teammates named to the six-player Preseason All-MAC West roster. Last season, WMU was one of three schools in the conference to secure an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, and this year's volleyball team was voted by the coaches as the preseason conference favorites.

Brown, of Kentwood, Mich., received her second straight First Team All-MAC selection in 2011, posting a team-high kills total with 353 successful attacks. Brown also became the 19th player in program history to crack the 1,000-kills barrier.

Norris, of Dowling, Mich., returns as a redshirt sophomore for the Broncos and is the reigning MAC Freshman of the Year and First Team All-MAC selection. Norris totaled 1,404 assists in 2011, which ranks third on the Broncos' single-season record list. She racked up 135 kills in 2011, the most for a Bronco since 2006.

The Broncos open their 2012 season Friday and Saturday, Aug. 24-25, when they compete at the Oklahoma Nike Invitational in Norman, Okla.